Exercise device

ABSTRACT

An exercise device for training abdominal muscles comprises a substantially flat lower side and an upper side opposite to the lower side. The upper side has a curved person-facing upper surface including a first sitting portion adjacent to a first back supporting portion having a steeper ascending inclination with respect to the lower side than the first sitting portion, as seen from the first sitting portion to the first back supporting portion, and at least a second sitting portion adjacent to a second back supporting portion having a steeper ascending inclination with respect to the lower side than the second sitting portion, as seen from the second sitting portion to the second back supporting portion. At least a part of the first sitting portion forms an edge portion of the device without having a further inclination or having an ascending inclination less steep than that of the first back supporting portion, as seen from the first back supporting portion to the first sitting portion. The first and second back supporting portions extend between the first and second sitting portions, and the inclination of the first back supporting portion is steeper than that of the second back supporting portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a national stage filing of International patent application Serial No. PCT/EP2007/058281, filed Aug. 9, 2007, and published as WO 2009/018860 in English.

BACKGROUND

The discussion below is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Aspects of the present invention relate to an exercise device for training abdominal muscles, comprising a substantially flat lower side, which is laid on a base such as a floor upon use, and an upper side opposite to the lower side, the upper side having a curved person-facing upper surface including a first sitting portion adjacent to a first back supporting portion having a steeper ascending inclination with respect to the lower side than the first sitting portion, as seen from the first sitting portion to the first back supporting portion, wherein at least a part of the first sitting portion forms an edge portion of the device without having a further inclination or having an ascending inclination less steep than that of the first back supporting portion, as seen from the first back supporting portion to the first sitting portion.

Such an exercise device is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,829. The prior art exercise device comprises a cushion for enabling abdominal exercises. The cushion includes a seat portion and a main body portion having a somewhat rectangular box-like configuration. A person may sit on the seat portion and exercising sit-ups by moving the upper part of its body from an upright sitting position towards the main body portion of the cushion and back to the sitting position by using its abdominal muscles. This device prevents the person from moving backwardly to an entirely lying position such that a person starting exercising avoids undue strain on the lower back.

SUMMARY

This Summary and the Abstract herein are provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary and the Abstract are not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor are they intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in the background.

An aspect of the present invention aims to provide an improved exercise device for training of abdominal muscles.

For this purpose the upper surface includes at least a second sitting portion adjacent to a second back supporting portion having a steeper ascending inclination with respect to the lower side than the second sitting portion, as seen from the second sitting portion to the second back supporting portion, wherein the first and second back supporting portions extend between the first and second sitting portions, and the inclination of the first back supporting portion is steeper than that of the second back supporting portion.

This appears to be advantageous, because the exercise device creates at least two levels of severity of exercising. A person having no or limited exercising history may start with the steepest inclination such that no injuries to the lower back occur. After a certain period of exercising the person may switch to the side of the device having a less steep back supporting inclination so as to increase the severity of exercising the abdominal muscles. Therefore, the device is designed for training abdominal muscles at different levels and suitable for safely building up the condition of abdominal muscles and strengthening thereof. The inclination of the first and second sitting portions and back supporting portions may be defined as the maximum rate of inclination. In practice, the sitting portions and back supporting portions may be continuously and/or gradually rising surfaces, for example concave surfaces. It is noted that the presence of a sitting portion is advantageous because of the stability of the device upon use; without a sitting portion the device could slide away from the person who is exercising and exerts a force in backward direction against one of the back supporting portions.

The first and second sitting portions may include lower first and second sitting portion sections, respectively, each of the sections located closest to the lower side at the respective sitting portions, and the first and second back supporting portions may include upper first and upper second back supporting portion sections, respectively, each located furthermost from the lower side at the respective back supporting portions, wherein the distance parallel to the lower side between the lower first sitting portion section and the upper first back supporting portion section is substantially equal to that between the lower second sitting portion section and the upper second back supporting portion section, whereas the distance perpendicularly to the lower side between the lower first sitting portion section and the upper first back supporting portion section is larger than that between the lower second sitting portion section and the upper second back supporting portion section. This embodiment creates a structure of which the inclination of the first sitting portion and the first back supporting portion together is steeper than that of the second sitting portion and second back supporting portion.

The device may include at least a third sitting portion adjacent to a third back supporting portion having a steeper ascending inclination with respect to the lower side than the third sitting portion, and wherein the inclination of the third back supporting portion is different from those of one of the first and second back supporting portions. The advantage of this embodiment is that a third exercising level is created and which is integrated in a single device. The third back supporting portion may have a less steep inclination with respect to the lower side than the second back supporting portion. A steeper inclination of the third back supporting portion than the first back supporting portion, for example, is also conceivable.

The third sitting portion may include a lower third sitting portion section located closest to the lower side at the third sitting portion and which coincides with the lower second sitting portion section, and the third back supporting portion may include an upper third back supporting portion section located furthermost from the lower side at the third back supporting portion, wherein the distance perpendicularly to the lower side between the lower third sitting portion section and the upper third back supporting portion section is smaller than that between the lower second sitting portion section and the upper second back supporting portion section. This enables creating a device with decreasing inclinations as seen from the first to the third sitting portion.

In a one embodiment the device includes at least a fourth sitting portion adjacent to a fourth back supporting portion, wherein the inclination of the fourth back supporting portion with respect to the lower side is different from those of the first, second and third back supporting portions since the possibility of four different exercising levels appear to be advantageous for training the abdominal muscles in practice.

In a practical embodiment the fourth back supporting portion has a less steep inclination with respect to the lower side than the third back supporting portion. The fourth back supporting portion may have a steeper ascending inclination with respect to the lower side than the fourth sitting portion, as seen from the fourth sitting portion to the fourth back supporting portion. However, in practice the difference between the inclination angles of the fourth sitting portion and the fourth back supporting portion may be small or even zero.

The fourth back supporting portion may include an upper fourth back supporting portion section located furthermost from the lower side at the fourth back supporting portion, which upper fourth back supporting portion section coincides with the upper third back supporting portion section, and the fourth sitting portion includes a lower fourth sitting portion section located closest to the lower side at the fourth sitting portion, wherein the distance perpendicularly to the lower side between the lower fourth sitting portion section and the upper fourth back supporting portion section is smaller than that between the lower third sitting portion section and the upper third back supporting portion section. This is a practical embodiment with decreasing inclinations as seen from the first to the fourth sitting portion section.

The fourth sitting portion may form a second edge portion of the device opposite to the edge portion in longitudinal direction of the device, without having a further inclination in the direction from the lower side to the upper side, as seen from the fourth back supporting portion to the fourth sitting portion.

An aspect of the invention also relates to an exercise device for training abdominal muscles, comprising a substantially continuous and flat lower side, which is laid on a base such as a floor upon use, and an upper side opposite to the lower side, the upper side having at least two crests forming four inclinations along a longitudinal direction of the device, wherein the subsequent inclinations have decreasing rates of inclination with respect to each other as seen in the longitudinal direction of the device.

At least a part of each of the inclinations may have a concave surface so as to create maximum comfort for the person who performs sit-ups.

The device may be a pad, for example made of a foam core, such as memory foam or a resilient rubber or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the invention will hereafter be elucidated with reference to the schematic drawings showing an embodiment of the invention by way of example.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an exercise device.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 on a smaller scale.

FIG. 3 a-3 d are side views of the embodiment of FIG. 1 on a smaller scale, illustrating a person exercising on the embodiment at four different levels.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Training abdominal muscles such as ab-crunches and sit ups can be done without any exercising device by lying flat on the floor and rising the upper part of the body to a sitting position using only the abdominal muscles. However, this is rather uncomfortable and therefore, a lot of devices have been developed, such as specially shaped cushions of which the upper surface has a shape in conformity with the curvature of the back portion of a body.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a perspective view and side view, respectively, of an embodiment of an exercise device 1 for training abdominal muscles. The embodiment is a cushion or pad. It comprises a lower side 2 which is substantially continuous and flat. The lower side 2 is laid on a flat base, such as floor, before the cushion is used. Furthermore, the device 1 has an upper side 3 opposite to the lower side 2. The upper side 3 has a curved person-facing upper surface. This means that a person contacts the upper surface during exercising.

The upper side 3 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3 comprises two crests and four inclinations in the longitudinal direction of the device. The upper surface comprises a first sitting portion 4, a second sitting portion 5, a third sitting portion 6 and a fourth sitting portion 7. Furthermore, the upper surface comprises a first back supporting portion 8, a second back supporting portion 9, a third back supporting portion 10 and a fourth back supporting portion 11, each thereof adjacent to the respective sitting portions 4-7. The first and second back supporting portion 8, 9 extend between the first and second sitting portions 4, 5, and the third and fourth back supporting portions 10, 11 extend between the third and fourth sitting portions 6, 7. The first to fourth back supporting portions 8-11 have a steeper ascending inclination with respect to the lower side 2 than the respective first to fourth sitting portions 4-7, as seen from the respective first to fourth sitting portions 4-7 to the respective first to fourth back supporting portions 8-11. In practice, the sitting portions 4-7 are disposed closer to the lower side 2 of the device 1 than the back supporting portions 8-11. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1-3 there is no sectional separation between the first to fourth sitting portions 4-7 and the respective first to fourth back supporting portions 8-11. In fact the two crests of the embodiment are composed by four inclinations (4 and 8, 5 and 9, 6 and 10, and 7 and 11). The largest part of each of these four inclinations has a concave surface. The subsequent inclinations have increasing rates of inclination with respect to each other as seen in longitudinal direction of the device 1.

In the embodiment the inclination of the first back supporting portion 8 is steeper than that of the second back supporting portion 9. The inclination of the second back supporting portion 9 is steeper than that of the third back supporting portion 10. The inclination of the third back supporting portion 10 is steeper than that of the fourth back supporting portion 11. It is noted that a steeper inclination may be defined as an inclination having a larger maximum rate of inclination.

Furthermore, the first to fourth sitting portions 4-7 include lower first to fourth sitting portion sections 12-15, respectively. The lower first to fourth sitting portion sections 12-15 are located closest to the lower side 2 at the respective first to fourth sitting portions 4-7. In other words, the lower first to fourth sitting portion sections 12-15 are the lowest locations of the respective sitting portions 4-7 when the device 1 is laid on a flat surface. Similarly, the first to fourth back supporting portions 8-11 include upper first to fourth back supporting sections 16-19, respectively. The first to fourth back supporting portion sections 16-19 are located furthermost from the lower side 2 at the respective first to fourth back supporting portions 8-11. Thus, the upper first to fourth back supporting portion sections 16-19 are the highest locations of the respective back supporting portions 8-11 when the device 1 is laid on a flat surface.

The distance parallel to the lower side 2 between the lower first sitting portion section 12 and the upper first back supporting portion section 16 may be substantially equal to that between the lower second sitting portion section 13 and the upper second back supporting portion section 17, whereas the distance perpendicularly to the lower side 2 between the lower first sitting portion section 12 and the upper first back supporting portion section 16 may be larger than that between the lower second sitting portion section 13 and the upper second back supporting portion section 17. Deviations from these ratios are, however, conceivable.

FIG. 1-3 show that the lower second sitting portion section 13 and the lower third sitting portion section 14 coincide, as well as the upper first back supporting portion section 16 and the upper second back supporting portion section 17, as well as the upper third back supporting portion section 18 and the upper fourth back supporting portion section 19.

It is noted that the sections 12, 16, 17, 13, 14, 18, 19, are straight lines extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the device 1 in this embodiment, since the cross section of the device does not vary in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and parallel to the lower side 2. This may, of course, be different in practice.

It can be seen that in this embodiment the distance between the lower side 2 and the lower first sitting portion section 12 is smaller that that between the lower side 2 and the lower second or third sitting portion section 13, 14, which in turn is smaller than that between the lower side 2 and the lower fourth sitting portion section 15. The distance between the lower side 2 and the upper first or second back supporting portion sections 16, 17 is larger than that between the lower side 2 and the upper third or fourth back supporting portion sections 18, 19. These distances combined with predetermined distances between the mentioned sections 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 in the longitudinal direction of the device 1 define the rate of inclination of the different portions 4-11.

The rate of inclination of the fourth back supporting portion 11 may be very small in order to create the most severe exercising conditions for the person on the device 1. In practice the largest portion of the fourth back supporting portion 11 and the fourth sitting portion 7 may be substantially flat or substantially parallel to the lower side.

The first and fourth sitting portions 4, 7 form at least partly edge portions 20, 21, respectively of the device 1 without having a further inclination as seen from the first back supporting portion 8 to the first sitting portion 4, and from the fourth back supporting portion 11 to the fourth sitting portion 7. In practice there may be a further ascending inclination, but this will be less steep than that of the first back supporting portion 8.

FIG. 3 a-d show illustrations of the different exercising levels. FIG. 3 a shows the condition for a person starting this type of exercising. The steeper the angle of an inclination the lighter the exercise for the user. After a certain period of training the abdominal muscles are strengthened such that the user may exercise a second level, see FIG. 3 b. The most severe exercising is achieved by the smallest angle of inclination, such as shown in FIG. 3 d. It can be seen in FIG. 3 a-3 d that the embodiment is dedicated for training abdominal muscles at different levels and different positions of a person sitting on the device, since the upper side 3 of the device 1 has not a shape which is formed in conformity with the curvature of the back of a person.

It can be seen that the device 1 is a separate cushion-like piece, free from any frame or any adjustment mechanism or the like. Therefore, it can be used as a separate device and easily transported.

The dimensions of the device 1 are such that it can be carried easily. It may have a rectangular circumferential shape having a length of 100-140 cm and a width of 45-65 cm. The thickness of the pad varies in longitudinal direction, of course; this may be in the range of 4-14 cm. Of course, these dimensions are only meant as an example and may be different, for example depending on different body lengths.

From the foregoing, it will be clear that the invention provides an improved exercise device for training of abdominal muscles at different levels of severity.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings and described hereinbefore, which may be varied in different manners within the scope of the claims and the technical equivalents. For example, it is possible to have a device including one single crest which forms two inclinations of different rates of inclination, wherein each inclination has a sitting portion and a back supporting portion. 

1. An exercise device for training abdominal muscles, comprising a substantially flat lower side configured to be laid on a base such as a floor upon use, and an upper side opposite to the lower side, the upper side having a curved person-facing upper surface including: a first sitting portion adjacent to a first back supporting portion having a steeper ascending inclination with respect to the lower side than the first sitting portion, as seen from the first sitting portion to the first back supporting portion, wherein at least a part of the first sitting portion forms an edge portion of the device without having a further inclination or having an ascending inclination less steep than that of the first back supporting portion, as seen from the first back supporting portion to the first sitting portion, wherein the upper surface includes at least a second sitting portion adjacent to a second back supporting portion having a steeper ascending inclination with respect to the lower side than the second sitting portion, as seen from the second sitting portion to the second back supporting portion, wherein the first and second back supporting portions extend between the first and second sitting portions, and the inclination of the first back supporting portion is steeper than that of the second back supporting portion.
 2. The exercise device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second sitting portions include lower first and second sitting portion sections, respectively, each of the sections located closest to the lower side at the respective sitting portions, and the first and second back supporting portions include upper first and upper second back supporting portion sections, respectively, each located furthermost from the lower side at the respective back supporting portions, wherein the distance parallel to the lower side between the lower first sitting portion section and the upper first back supporting portion section is substantially equal to that between the lower second sitting portion section and the upper second back supporting portion section, whereas the distance perpendicularly to the lower side between the lower first sitting portion section and the upper first back supporting portion section is larger than that between the lower second sitting portion section and the upper second back supporting portion section.
 3. The exercise device according to claim 1, wherein the device includes at least a third sitting portion adjacent to a third back supporting portion having a steeper ascending inclination with respect to the lower side than the third sitting portion, and wherein the inclination of the third back supporting portion is different from those of one of the first and second back supporting portions.
 4. The exercise device according to claim 3, wherein the third back supporting portion has a less steep inclination with respect to the lower side than the second back supporting portion.
 5. The exercise device according to claim 2, wherein the third sitting portion includes a lower third sitting portion section located closest to the lower side at the third sitting portion and which coincides with the lower second sitting portion section, and the third back supporting portion includes an upper third back supporting portion section located furthermost from the lower side at the third back supporting portion, wherein the distance perpendicularly to the lower side between the lower third sitting portion section and the upper third back supporting portion section is smaller than that between the lower second sitting portion section and the upper second back supporting portion section.
 6. The exercise device according to claim 3, wherein the device includes at least a fourth sitting portion adjacent to a fourth back supporting portion, wherein the inclination of the fourth back supporting portion with respect to the lower side is different from those of the first, second and third back supporting portions.
 7. The exercise device according to claim 6, wherein the fourth back supporting portion has a less steep inclination with respect to the lower side than the third back supporting portion.
 8. The exercise device according to claim 6, wherein the fourth back supporting portion has a steeper ascending inclination with respect to the lower side than the fourth sitting portion, as seen from the fourth sitting portion to the fourth back supporting portion.
 9. The exercise device according to claim 6, wherein the fourth back supporting portion includes an upper fourth back supporting portion section located furthermost from the lower side at the fourth back supporting portion, which upper fourth back supporting portion section coincides with the upper third back supporting portion section, and the fourth sitting portion includes a lower fourth sitting portion section located closest to the lower side at the fourth sitting portion, wherein the distance perpendicularly to the lower side between the lower fourth sitting portion section and the upper fourth back supporting portion section is smaller than that between the lower third sitting portion section and the upper third back supporting portion section.
 10. The exercise device according to claim 6, wherein the fourth sitting portion forms a second edge portion of the device opposite to the edge portion in longitudinal direction of the device, without having a further inclination in the direction from the lower side to the upper side, as seen from the fourth back supporting portion to the fourth sitting portion.
 11. An exercise device for training abdominal muscles, comprising a substantially continuous and flat lower side, which is laid on a base such as a floor upon use, and an upper side opposite to the lower side, the upper side having at least two crests forming four inclinations along a longitudinal direction of the device, wherein the subsequent inclinations have decreasing rates of inclination with respect to each other as seen in the longitudinal direction of the device.
 12. The exercise device according to claim 11, wherein at least a part of each of the inclinations has a concave surface.
 13. The exercise device according to claim 11, wherein the device is a pad made of a foam core. 